Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The Leaven
Alternate Title(s):The Leavened Bread
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1923
Dimensions:
45 × 40 in. (114.3 × 101.6 cm)
Kirk in the Hills, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Gift of an anonymous Trustee, 1959
Accession number: SUPP2000.881
Research Number: NCW: 881
InscribedUpper right: N. C. WYETH (underlined) / 23
ProvenanceThe artist; with Mrs. N. C. Wyeth to at least Sept. 1950; transferred to heirs of Robert Winsor prior to 1957; (Vose Galleries, Boston, MA, 1957-1959, #19329)
Exhibition HistoryBoston, MA, 1923; Wilmington, DE, 1930(1), no. 17; possibly Scribner's, New York, NY, April, 1931 (see curatorial comment); Boston, MA, Vose Galleries, Dec. 1957
References
The Boston Traveler, Dec. 29, 1923, Rotogravure section, unpaginated; Richard Layton, "Inventory of Paintings in the Wyeth Studio, 1950," unpublished, Wyeth Family Archives, p. 21; Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 200, 315, illus. b/w p. 72; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.938, p. 448
Curatorial RemarksThe original intention for the Parable series was never realized. Wyeth wrote to Sidney M. Chase in Oct. 1922, "Have just signed a contract to do the Parables for Robert Winsor of Boston. It's a big chance and a big proposition. A mighty interesting scheme throughout. Taft (William Howard) is to write the forward and the imprint will be the University Press in Cambridge. 50,000 copies, first editions, etc." (Wyeth Family Archives, NCW to Sidney M. Chase, Oct. 16, 1922). Robert Winsor (1858-1930) was a Boston investment banker and supporter of the Unitarian Universalist Church.
No known archival material clearly explains the ownership of the 12 Parable paintings and Andrew Wyeth has confirmed the confusion. Apparently, each picture was jointly owned by Robert Winsor and N. C. Wyeth, for on May 20, 1927 the artist wrote to his father stating he owned "half interest in the originals" and expressing a desire to buy back the complete set "after (Winsor) has made full use of them" (NCW to ANW, May 20, 1927, Wyeth Family Archives). Just before Winsor died in January 1930, Wyeth obtained all 12 in order to reproduce them in some way (NCW to Roger L. Scaife, Jan. 8, 1930, Houghton Mifflin Archives, Houghton Library, Harvard University). In 1942, the artist granted to the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention "second rights for unrestricted use" for this image, for which he was paid $50.00 (Herman F. Burns, Broadman Press of the Sunday School Board, to NCW Oct. 5, 1942, Wyeth Family Archives).
The BRM holds papers that list the biblical citations that inspired Wyeth and a rough copy of his text for the catalogue of the Wilmington, DE, 1930 exhibition which included the artist's remarks about each Parable painting.
"The folders (cards) are printed in twelve colors and gold, faithfully reproducing the original paintings made by Mr. N. C. Wyeth and depicting the six leading biblical parables. The incidental decoration and lettering has been done by Mr. T. B. Hapgood...." (from an advertisement for the Deluxe edition of Christmas religious folders, Brandywine River Museum library).;A selection of paintings from The Parables must have been shown in New York in the spring of 1931, for in "Art that is now being shown in various New York galleries," Times writer Ruth Green Harris noted "N. C. Wyeth, at Scribner's, shows paintings, many of which illustrate Old Testament scenes." (NYT, April 12, 1931; ProQuest Historical Newspapers, pg. X10).
No known archival material clearly explains the ownership of the 12 Parable paintings and Andrew Wyeth has confirmed the confusion. Apparently, each picture was jointly owned by Robert Winsor and N. C. Wyeth, for on May 20, 1927 the artist wrote to his father stating he owned "half interest in the originals" and expressing a desire to buy back the complete set "after (Winsor) has made full use of them" (NCW to ANW, May 20, 1927, Wyeth Family Archives). Just before Winsor died in January 1930, Wyeth obtained all 12 in order to reproduce them in some way (NCW to Roger L. Scaife, Jan. 8, 1930, Houghton Mifflin Archives, Houghton Library, Harvard University). In 1942, the artist granted to the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention "second rights for unrestricted use" for this image, for which he was paid $50.00 (Herman F. Burns, Broadman Press of the Sunday School Board, to NCW Oct. 5, 1942, Wyeth Family Archives).
The BRM holds papers that list the biblical citations that inspired Wyeth and a rough copy of his text for the catalogue of the Wilmington, DE, 1930 exhibition which included the artist's remarks about each Parable painting.
"The folders (cards) are printed in twelve colors and gold, faithfully reproducing the original paintings made by Mr. N. C. Wyeth and depicting the six leading biblical parables. The incidental decoration and lettering has been done by Mr. T. B. Hapgood...." (from an advertisement for the Deluxe edition of Christmas religious folders, Brandywine River Museum library).;A selection of paintings from The Parables must have been shown in New York in the spring of 1931, for in "Art that is now being shown in various New York galleries," Times writer Ruth Green Harris noted "N. C. Wyeth, at Scribner's, shows paintings, many of which illustrate Old Testament scenes." (NYT, April 12, 1931; ProQuest Historical Newspapers, pg. X10).
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Digital photography directly from painting
Photo Credit:Spectrum Imaging, 2/1/2006